Pius X runs roughshod over visitor from Canada

Royals score 35 points in the first quarter, then rest the first string.

Scholastic Football

October 23, 2004|By John Heilig Special to The Morning Call -- Freelance

Trinity High School from Port Hope, Ontario, traveled 10 hours to play Pius X Friday night at Bangor Park. The Royals weren't hospitable, drubbing their Canadian visitors 56-8, and dominating every category.

The Royals led 35-0 at the end of the first quarter, and had scored all their points by the half. Pius totaled 306 yards offense in the first half to just 21 for Trinity.

After Trinity took the opening kickoff and couldn't produce, Pius got the ball on the Bears' 26-yard line. Shawn Brice punched through the center of the line to the 4-yard line, then went over right tackle for the score on the next play.

When Zak Bills intercepted Bears quarterback Nick Topolie on the first play after the kickoff, the Royals were off and running again. Five plays later, Hildabrant hit Rich Kessler for an 11-yard score.

On the next series, Brice intercepted Topolie and ran the ball back 69 yards for the Royals' third touchdown. Less than eight minutes had transpired.

Pius scored on its next possession, this time a 25-yard pass from Hildabrant to Quintin Lopez.

On the next possession, Brice took a pitchout around left end for a 3-yard TD.

Pius didn't punt in the game. Late in the fourth quarter, the Royals turned the ball over once on downs and twice on fumbles.

The Bears didn't get on the scoreboard until only 2:30 remained on the clock.

In reality the "Mercy Rule" probably should have ended the game before the Bears finished their drive, but a generous clock operator stopped the clock to let Trinity score.

Trinity's Marcus Mitchell bulled his way for 66 yards on the 8-play drive, scoring from the 4-yard line.

Hildabrant, the Royals' sophomore quarterback, played only the first quarter and guided Pius X to its first seven scores, throwing two touchdown passes in the process. Hildabrant was 7-for-8 for 125 yards.

Hildabrant threw touchdown passes to Kessler for 11 yards and Lopez for 25.

Zak Bills played the second quarter and completed one-of-three for a 43-yard touchdown to Willie Wallace.

Rob Goffredo played the second half and was 7-for-7 for 49 yards, as the visitors were apparently unable to stop Pius' passing game.

Trinity coach Drew Allen said the reason the Bears came to Bangor was because he wanted his players to see what good American football was all about.

"They did," he said.

Allen added that he regularly takes his team south of the border for one game a year.

"It's a chance for our guys to get to play some serious football against a team that takes football very seriously," he said. "The teams we've played before were never as good as this."

Allen added that his team plays Canadian rules.

"We're not at a disadvantage," he said. "If you gave Pius the chance to play Canadian rules, with their speed and the unlimited motion, they'd put 200 points up on the board. They'd be frightening to watch."

"We weren't worried about the score," he continued. "If we had wanted just to win, we would have booked a team in Quebec or upper New York State. Where else can you really go for good football than Pennsylvania?"

Pius coach Rob Goffredo also appreciated the chance to play all his players with no injuries.

"It's all in the preparation," he said. "Our kids prepare very hard every day. We work hard on preparation. We didn't have a scouting report. We didn't get films until late. Every week is very important to us. We watched them practice today and thought we could beat them, but that number 31 [Marcus Mitcell] is a tough kid, a very tough kid."

"My twos [the second string] who work just as hard preparing our ones [the first string] every week, got a chance to play. They've had a chance the last couple of weeks."

The teams posed for pictures together after the game and were guests at a dinner held at a local firehouse. Both teams will be at the Lehigh game on Saturday, through the efforts of Pius assistant coach Phil Stambaugh, who starred at Pius and Lehigh.